Michael Clarke speaks to the media before an Australian nets session at Centurion Park on Tuesday. Photo: Getty Images

Captain Michael Clarke is no longer a selector but gave a strong indication that uncapped Tasmanian Alex Doolan would be one of the two inclusions for the first Test at Centurion Park, starting on Wednesday, for the omitted George Bailey and injured Shane Watson.

Doolan, 28, is expected to bat at his customary position of No. 3.

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Who fills the other spot is uncertain. Clarke confirmed selectors were mulling various options.

"There's three options: six batters, three fast-bowlers, and 'Lyono' [Nathan Lyon]; five batters and the all-rounder in Moises [Henriques]; six batters and four fast-bowlers – no spinner and use myself and Steve Smith for that," Clarke said.

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In the past five Tests at Centurion, of which South Africa has won by an innings, spinners have taken only 19 per cent of the wickets.

If Australia, as expected, bypasses Henriques and plumps for two specialist batsmen, a complication is that Marsh and Hughes customarily bat in the top order.

Captains Graeme Smith of South Africa and Michael Clarke of Australia pose with the trophy for the Test series during a media session at Centurion Park on Tuesday. Photo: Getty Images

Clarke confirmed he could tweak the order to make the batsman chosen for a recall more comfortable. One option could be to bat the two new batsmen at three and four, with Clarke and Steve Smith moving to five and six, although it is more likely whichever left-hander is selected will come in at six.

Australia's mini-mantra of the past week is that its Ashes win during the home summer is no longer relevant.

There is arguably no greater reminder of the challenge Australia is about to face than that. While it celebrated its victory against England – its first series win for 2013 – South Africa, the top-ranked Test nation, was celebrating a victory against India that pushed its unbeaten streak to almost five years, pending this series against Australia.

South Africa has failed to beat Australia in a home series in six attempts since its re-admission to world cricket more than 20 years ago.

But the Proteas, even in their first series since the retirement of champion all-rounder Jacques Kallis, still boast the top two batsmen (A.B. de Villiers and Hashim Amla) and bowlers (Vernon Philander and Dale Steyn)in the ICC's Test rankings.

"They have been able to perform consistently at home and away from home over a long period of time, a little bit like the Australian team that I first walked into," said Clarke, who arrived in the early 2000s.

"The reason we were No. 1 for so long was because we had as much success away from home as we did at home, and that's our greatest challenge as a team."